The #EndSARS protest against police brutality in Nigeria has gathered weight over the last couple of days with celebrities, Nigerians in diaspora, renowned personalities and the international community lending their voice in what has been a movement of the people calling for the end of police brutality and government’s culture of silence.
It should be noted that over the course of these #EndSARS protest, peaceful protesters across Nigeria have constantly been attacked by thugs in addition to the ill treatment meted out by the Nigerian Police Force to deter protesters for exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
On Wednesday October 14, 2020, it was recorded that armed thugs attacked peaceful protesters in the nation’s capital, Abuja. These attempts to attack and injure protesters has occurred on several occasions which has led to the provision of private security outfits on protest grounds.
The latest of these attacks on peaceful protesters in Abuja on Sunday October 18, 2020 led to the unfortunate death of Anthony Onome Unuode who was stabbed severally by these supposed sponsored government thugs.
Read also: Lazy Nigerian Youths? How Young Nigerian Responded with #EndSARS Protest
Similarly, peaceful #EndSARS protesters in Lagos have also witnessed similar waves of thug attacks – the first of which occurred on Thursday October 15, 2020.
It was gathered that these thugs used the Lagos State BRT bus with bus number: 240171 to convey themselves to the protest ground in Alausa, Ikeja where peaceful protesters were gathered, and dispersed these protesters who are calling on the government to meet their demands and put an end to police brutality in the country.
As usual, private security personnel were hired to help galvanize and protect protesters. It should be on record that while peaceful #EndSARS protesters were attacked by thugs, no members of the Nigerian Police Force or any government security agency were on ground to arrest the situation. This should be noted.
The protection of lives and properties is the utmost responsibility of any serious government; the Nigerian government have failed to do that by allowing the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unleash terror on her citizens which consequently led to the ongoing protest.
The nonchalant attitude of the Nigerian Police Force, and indeed the body language of the Nigerian government is however not encouraging at this point in time.
Consequently, on Monday October 19, 2020, peaceful protesters in Benin were not only attacked by thugs who’ve hijacked the protest, it was also alleged that these protesters who’ve been peaceful in their approach since inception broke the Nigerian Prison in Sapele Road, Benin and released prisoners onto the street.
Read also: EndSARS Protest: The Little Events Leading to a Powerful Change
We can all read the handwriting on the wall and with the way events are panning out, the government will need to sweep swiftly into action in order to curtail the situation which might lead to the:
- Imposition of curfew to quell the unrest
- Cancellation of peaceful protest in Edo state to allow the government and security forces “do their jobs” well
- Capture of released prisoners which at this point would have mixed freely amongst well-meaning Nigerians.
- Arrest of innocent citizens to make up for their incompetence
- Military intervention if the police fails to snuff-out the unrest.
This fifth action plan has already been set in motion with the Nigerian Army issuing a press release regarding its “Exercise Crocodile Smile” which will begin on October 20, 2020.
Though the Nigerian Army have come out to clarify the concerns raised by the people regarding the involvement of the Nigerian Army in the ongoing #EndSARS protest. They said:
If violence continues to accompany each peaceful protest across Nigeria, then the government will have no other choice than to ensure that peace reigns even if it warrants dispersing protesters with military action.
Even the blind can see the game the Nigerian government is playing by inciting violence amidst well organised and structured peaceful protest. Call this a slander against the image of the Nigerian government, but the patterns are crystal clear.
However, these chains of actions are linked one way or another with one common goal – to discredit the protest.
The question on everyone’s lips is this: what other antics will the government employ again to quench the voice of young Nigerians demanding for an end to police brutality in the country as well as transparency and proper accountability from those tasked with the responsibility of keeping the populace safe?
2 thoughts on “Thugs Attack. Prison Break. What Next from the Nigerian Government?”